If political junkies are lucky, the marquee Senate race in 2014 will be an odd-couple fight pitting Republican leader Mitch McConnell against actress Ashley Judd. On its face, there’s little to suggest that McConnell, a canny tactician who is perhaps the nation’s most powerful elected Republican, would have much to fear from a liberal Democratic activist in a staunchly conservative state. But McConnell’s allies want you to know he is not taking Judd lightly.

A December survey by the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling put McConnell just 4 points up in a hypothetical contest with Judd, who has not decided whether to run. That matched McConnell’s own internal numbers. But these polls may not hold up once McConnell’s allies reshape Kentuckians’ perceptions of the actress and Democratic activist. A new American Crossroads ad released Wednesday offers a glimpse of the attacks conservatives would hurl at Judd if she runs:

It is tough to win in a conservative state if voters think you’re a carpetbagging, Obama-worshipping radical. Which raises the question of why McConnell’s team is so concerned about a Judd candidacy.

One possible answer is that they’re not, and the ad is something of a red herring that deflects attention from McConnell’s larger concern, which is a primary challenge from the right. Despite his clout in D.C., McConnell is not a beloved figure back home. (A December poll ranked him as the nation’s least popular Senator.) In September, McConnell poached Jesse Benton, who ran Ron Paul’s presidential campaign, to manage his own — a move designed to shore up his weaknesses with the Tea Partyers and Paul acolytes that propelled Paul’s son Rand to his own Senate victory.

McConnell has gotten an early jump on the campaign. “This is the only race in the country,” he told supporters at the opening of his campaign headquarters last weekend, “with any national significance.” But the perilous threat is posed not by Democrats but rather his own party. Highlighting Judd’s liberalism might hurt the Democrat in Kentucky, but it also carries an added benefit. It might persuade voters pondering a conservative alternative to McConnell to stick with a proven commodity to defeat her.

the fact that Rove the Evil is already spending money against this NON CANDIDATE would indicate she just might take out Mitch the Inane. Hope she runs cause when she runs her ads about Mitch... it will be a doozie!

Nothing matters more then getting McConnell out of office. He's nothing more than a shill for the wealthy and corporations. He's just another politician that prostitutes himself to the high bidder's. read the following to see how he sold the American people down the river.

After the Michael Ignatieff debacle in Canada, I think the Tennessee line is an absolute poison pill for her.

Ignatieff was on an American news network calling America his country while encouraging them to, IIRC, get involved in the political process - I think it was in 2004 but I can't remember the details. Years later, he's head of the Canadian Liberal Party - which means he becomes Prime Minister if the Liberals win. The Conservatives played that clip for two years before finally calling an election and Ignatieff led the Liberals (who once were called the "natural governing party of Canada") to a third place showing (it had never been below second before)

Ashley Judd would be an amazing Senator for Kentucky. It would erase the image that Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell have given Kentucky of being a hillbilly state. Electing Ashley Judd as Senator would elevate Kentucky more than any other single act I can think of. Kentuckians who love their state should elect her if they want their state to grow and prosper.

@AnthonyMarquez SW Pennsylvania is coal country, too. There was an interesting item on the Pittsburgh area news last night: Near Clairton, PA, (a coal-coking operation) 18% of the children have asthma. Around Carmichaels, PA, (near a coal-fired power plant) 23% have asthma. Near Shenango, (another coking works) it's also 23%.

There are many costs to coal which aren't addressed in its BTU price, and this is one of them.

@reallife Just exactly what is a liberal. Please define it without irrational character assassinations. I for one think there has been a many good Conservaties, great statemen, despite the fact I sometimes don't agree with their policies. And yes they were NICE men and women. I just have a problem sometimes with those they work for.

Ashley was married to a Formula I driver and obviously a world traveler but was able to keep her connections to UK. Don't think Mitch can make the same claim. He's a DC product, married to a GOP operative who served under GHWB.

That HAS to be a political/power marriage, as ol' Mitch has NO charisma or physical attractiveness I can see.

@deconstructiva Not to mention that whether it's Mitch or a right-wing radical that gets out of the primary, the popularity level will be low enough for the D's to steal another seat that should go Republican.

@KevinGroenhagen I'm not sure what a "views political appearances" is, but I'm sure that it's not an ironically airheaded mistake. Though Kevin is known for nothing if not for saying stupid things in an attempt to insult others.

Coal will be around for awhile and monies should be spent for scrubbing technologies. Many families depend on coal for there livelihood. And yes we as a noation must begin looking for cleaner energy for the future starting now. BUT the Neo Crazies left us will a $2.6 Trillion dollar bill ofr the war to find WMD that still needs paying for. Thismaking Cheny and gang billions of dollars on the lives of servicemen and Iraqii civilians.

@sacredh I'm with you, sacred. I want to see Kentucky reach down into the stagnant black pond water of the Tea Party and pull out another Mourdock, Akins or Angle and beat McConnell like a rented mule.

@DarleneRitterGoodfellow@KevinGroenhagen You have changed the criterion from intelligence to judgment, and you have advanced the possibility that someone with a master's degree can have poor judgment. So what makes you think Judd would have good judgment? Did you see her most recent television show? It was cancelled after just 10 episodes.

Bush proved his poor judgment with his words, deeds and policy decisions, but that's irrelevant to Ashley Judd's credentials to run for higher office - and the GOP wonders why they are losing women and minorities in droves?

@forgottenlord@KevinGroenhagen Thousands of people write letters to the editors of newspapers and magazines every day. They express strong opinions and they use their actual names. How many are beaten to a pulp? The courage I'm referring to has nothing to do with physicality.

My problem is that I can't follow the logic to his claims. Most times when they make a criticism of some sort, you can see how they get to that point, but the "anonymous coward" I've never understood.

Mind you, I've been running under the general assumption that, unlike some of his friends, Kevin actually believes most of the stuff he posts rather than being just a troll looking to incite a reaction - which may be more an indicator of how low I think his intelligence is more than anything else.

Food for thought: S_Deemer uses his own picture for his profile (and we can safely assume his SN is short for his actual name), and all Kevin did with it was tell him he looked like a child molester. That's the only reason he wants to know who we are, so he can bully and harass, both offline and online.

Assuming he is either, that doesn't make his point invalid. Within the context of this forum, your popularity level is low amongst all categories except your fellow trolls so why would anyone here put much stock in your predictions? Within the context of this board, neither of you are anonymous.

On a completely different note, I still don't get the anonymous criticism. Are you saying because you can't go find him and beat him to a pulp with your own two fists or shame him in front of all his neighbors, he's anonymous? Are you still thinking from the small town mentality of everyone knows everyone and therefore if one person does something that is different from the collective norm, everyone knows and shuns that person - 'cause I can tell you that I've experienced that more in online communities than offline ones where the grand total of people I'll interact with in an average year on a regular basis - including friends, family and coworkers but not counting customers who I've never met face-to-face - is under 10.

@KevinGroenhagen@Heian Any writing class will tell you that "It's not what you meant to say that matters, it's what you DID say." Readers should be able to expect clear writing, not something in need of translation.

Sue_N, this is just a great time to be witnessing the implosion of a party that deserves it. I don't believe in karma or what-goes-around-comes-around, but the republicans are doing to themselves what I'd like to do them. They're just giving themselves a good old-fashioned ass-whuppin'.